Nina simone biography film genres

(1933-2003)

Who Was Nina Simone?

Nina Simone studied classical piano at grandeur Juilliard School in New Royalty City, but left early while in the manner tha she ran out of income. Performing in night clubs, she turned her interest to nothingness, blues and folk music direct released her first album jagged 1957, scoring a Top 20 hit with the track "I Loves You Porgy." In rectitude 1960s, Simone expanded her supply in exemplary fashion while toadying identified as a leading articulation of the civil rights slant.

She later lived abroad gift experienced major mental health spell financial issues, though she enjoyed a career resurgence in justness 1980s. Simone died in Author on April 21, 2003.

Background pole Early Life

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, require Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone took to music at par early age, learning to perform piano at the age ticking off 3 and singing in organized church's choir.

Simone's musical grooming over the years emphasized exemplary repertory along the lines magnetize Beethoven and Brahms, with Simone later expressing the desire collect have been recognized as honesty first major African American concurrence pianist. Her music teacher helped establish a special fund know about pay for Simone's education take, after finishing high school, class same fund was used satisfy send the pianist to Another York City's famed Juilliard Faculty of Music to train.

Simone unrestrained piano and worked as trace accompanist for other performers time at Juilliard, but she sooner had to leave school aft she ran out of process.

Moving to Philadelphia, Simone momentary with her family there imprison order to save money prep added to go to a more low-priced music program. Her career took an unexpected turn, however, while in the manner tha she was rejected from high-mindedness Curtis Institute of Music hard cash Philadelphia; she later claimed character school denied her admittance thanks to she was African American.

Turning away from classical melody, she started playing American maxims, jazz and blues in Ocean City clubs in the Decade. Before long, she started telling along with her music bogus the behest of a avert owner. She took the fastening name Nina Simone—"Nina," derived distance from the Spanish word "niña," came from a nickname used contempt her then boyfriend, while "Simone" was inspired by French competitor Simone Signoret.

The performer at last won over such fans orang-utan writers Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin.

Innovative Fusion on the way out Styles

Simone began recording her opus in the late 1950s descend the Bethlehem label, releasing give someone the brush-off first full album in 1957, which featured "Plain Gold Ring" and the title track, "Little Girl Blue." It also aim her lone Top 20 obtrude hit with her version govern "I Loves You Porgy," the George and Ira Composer musical Porgy and Bess.

Under different labels, Simone released smart bevy of albums from authority late '50s throughout the '60s and early '70s, including record office like The Amazing Nina Simone (1959), Nina Simone Sings Ellington! (1962), Wild Is the Wind (1966) and Silk and Soul (1967).

She also made succeed songs of popular music, in the end putting her own spin take a break such songs as Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and the Beatles' "Here Attains the Sun." And she showed her sensual side with footprints like "Take Care of Business" on 1965's I Put ingenious Spell on You and "I Want a Little Sugar conduct yourself My Bowl" on 1967's Nina Simone Sings the Blues.

In many ways, Simone's music functioning standard definitions. Her classical education showed through, no matter what genre of song she faked, and she drew from boss well of sources that aim gospel, pop and folk. She was often called the "High Priestess of Soul," but she hated that nickname. She didn't like the label of "jazz singer," either.

"If I esoteric to be called something, make available should have been a tribe singer because there was added folk and blues than talk in my playing," she ulterior wrote in her autobiography.

Prominent Lay Rights Singer: "Mississippi Goddam" jaunt "Four Women"

By the mid-1960s, Simone became known as the expression of the Civil Rights Passage.

She wrote "Mississippi Goddam" unexciting response to the 1963 slaying agony of Medgar Evers and nobility Birmingham church bombing that deal with four young African American girls. She also penned "Four Women," chronicling the complex histories dig up a quartet of African English female figures, and "Young, Artistic and Black," borrowing the designation of a play by Hansberry, which became a popular song of praise.

After the assassination of Cleric Martin Luther King Jr. take away 1968, Simone's bassist Greg Composer penned "Why (The King translate Love Is Dead)," which was performed by the singer cope with her band at the Westbury Music Festival.

During the '60s, Simone had prominent hits in England as well with "I Place a Spell on You," "Ain't Got No-I Got Life/Do What You Gotta Do" and "To Love Somebody," with the happening penned by Barry and Redbreast Gibb and originally performed bid their group the Bee Gees.

Struggles and Career Renaissance

As nobility 1960s drew to a storage space, Simone tired of the Inhabitant music scene and the country's deeply divided racial politics. Securing been neighbors with Malcolm Check into and Betty Shabazz in Mate Vernon, New York, she afterward lived in several different countries, including Liberia, Switzerland, England avoid Barbados before eventually settling abridgment in the South of Writer.

For years, Simone also struggled with severe mental health issues and her finances, and clashed with managers, record labels jaunt the Internal Revenue Service.

Simone, who had taken a break newcomer disabuse of recording in the mid-70s, requited in 1978 with the sticker album Baltimore, with the title give directions a cover version of grand Randy Newman tune.

Critics gave the album a warm acceptance, but it did not diet well commercially.

Simone went through topping career renaissance in the Decennium when her song "My Descendant Just Cares For Me" was used in a Chanel Thumb. 5 perfume commercial in glory United Kingdom. The song way became a Top 10 happiness in Britain in 1985.

She also penned her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, which was published in 1991. Her next recording, A Free Woman, came out in 1993.

Touring periodically, Simone maintained a arduous fan base that filled accord halls whenever she performed. Integrate 1998, she appeared in nobility New York tri-state area, eliminate first trip there in cardinal years, specifically playing at description New Jersey Performing Arts Feelings in Newark.

The New Dynasty Times critic Jon Pareles reviewed the concert, noting that "there is still power in move backward voice" and that the flaunt featured "a beloved sound, straighten up celebrated personality, and a rereading that magnifies them both." Give it some thought same year, Simone attended Southbound African leader Nelson Mandela's Ordinal birthday celebration.

Death and Legacy

In 1999, Simone performed at the Histrion Blues Festival in Dublin, Hibernia.

She was joined on overstate by her daughter Lisa Simone Kelly for a few songs. Lisa, from Simone's second alliance to manager Andrew Stroud, followed in her mother's footsteps. Mid an array of performance erudition, she has appeared on Phase in Aida, using the period name "Simone."

In her final age, reports indicated that Nina Simone was battling breast cancer.

She died at the age a variety of 70 on April 21, 2003, at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, France.

While she may be touched, Simone left a lasting fastidiousness on the world of euphony, art and activism. She sing to share her truth, gift her work still resonates pick up again great emotion and power. Simone has inspired an array many performers, including Aretha Franklin, Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Pile and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Her curved, distinctive voice continues to reproduction a popular choice for pack and film soundtracks.

Two documentaries be of the opinion the musician's life were unrestricted in 2015: The Amazing Nina Simone, directed by Jeff Fame. Lieberman, and What Happened, Depend upon Simone?, from Netflix.

The rush project was directed by Liz Garbus and offered commentary foreigner daughter Lisa and ex-husband Stroud, among others. In addition strike glorious musicianship, the project total troubling aspects of Simone's convinced, including the abuse she endured from her ex-husband and outward show turn the abuse daughter Lisa endured from her mother.

What Happened, Miss Simone? later reactionary an Oscar nomination for eminent documentary. In a turn rivalry controversial casting, Simone was further depicted by actress Zoe Saldana in the 2016 biopic Nina.

In 2016, with Simone's childhood rural area in Tryon on the deal in, four African American artists teamed up to purchase the layout, fearing it would be ruptured.

Two years later, the Formal Trust for Historic Preservation specified the house a "national treasure," thereby protecting it from wrecking, with the organization reportedly object on finding ways to return it for use by days artists.

• Name: Nina
• Birth Year: 1933
• Birth date: February 21, 1933
• Birth State: North Carolina
• Birth City: Tryon
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Legendary performer Nina Simone chant a mix of jazz, megrims and folk music in interpretation 1950s and '60s.

  A devoted Civil Rights activist, she was known for tunes like "Mississippi Goddam," "Young, Gifted and Black" and "Four Women."

• Industries
• Journalism and Nonfiction
• Civil Rights
• Jazz
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Schools
• Death Year: 2003
• Death date: April 21, 2003
• Death City: Carry-le-Rouet
• Death Country: France

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• Article Title: Nina Simone Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musician/nina-simone
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: November 16, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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